November 2, 2012

One arrest in Sari

Shirin Foroughiyan ( شیرین فروغیان ), a Bahai resident of Sari, was arrested at her home on October 30. Agents from the Ministry of Intelligence searched her home and seized a computer, printer, and religious books and images. They had a search warrant, and wrote in the word “arrest” themselves. The warrant was in any case invalid, since it did not bear the letterhead of a court, and was not signed by a judge. It is notable that `Abas Alizadeh ( عباس علیزاده ), a Ministry of Intelligence interrogator specialising in Bahai matters, was present during the raid. When Shirin Foroughiyan persisted in demanding a valid warrant, he threatened to beat her harder. Shirin Foroughiyan and her husband `Adel Samimi ( عادل صمیمی ) were arrested previously, in the winter of 2008, when they were fined 300,000 tumans each (about 210 euros, 300 USD).